Folding ironing board



Feb. 2s, 195o E. W, SHAW I 2,499,078

FOLDING IRONING BOARD 'Filed June 28, 1946 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 --"Lif'.

' 2,499,018' ,y l l' Ebern W. Shaw, Cleveland, Ohio- 'I v ApplicationJune 28, 1946, Serial No. 680,145

2 Claims. (CLSB-117)' 'IIhis invention relates to a folding` ironinglight, strong material, arranged in endwise abut'- board, and moreparticularly to an ironing board ting relation at the middle of theboard.

ofthe type referred to, which in folded condition The section Iof thetop may be tapered slightly noccupies a'minimum of space and which iscapatoward its free end 3 inthe conventional manner ble'of use inseveral positions to suit a variety of 5 of an ironing board, and issecured to a frame 'different conditions. structure comprising theportion 4 locatedy at the The 4chief object of the invention is theprofree end 3 and the side portions 5 and 6 extending vv'vision of afolding ironing board capable of oc- Ato the middle of the board.jcupying a space so small that the same may be *The section 2 islikewise secured to a frame easily packed and carried in ordinaryluggage or 'l0 structure comprising an end portion 8 and the :in otherplaces where heretofore such an article side portions IIJ and. I I.

would have been too bulky and heavy for conven- The side portions 5 andI0 of the frame strucient transportation. y ture are joined' at themiddle of the board by a A furtherobject of the invention is to providehinge I2, and the side portions E and Il are likeanironing board of thetype referred to, which l5 wise joined by a hinge I4, S0 that theSections I v*can be used on table tops or in similar locations, and 2may be folded together as illustrated in fand whose height when used onsuch a support Figure 2. `can be conveniently adjusted. The portions 4,5 and 6 of the frame structure A still further object is to provide afolding are cut away beneath the section I'to form a reironing boardstructure of light weight and cess I5, which in the region of thetapered end 3 'strong construction, capable of withstanding the of theboard has an upwardly concave surface I6 vhard usage to which such adevice is likely to be fora purpose later to be pointed out. put. y Theportions 8, I0 and Il of the frame strucg vThe above and other objectsand advantages ture are also cut away beneath the section 2 to vof theinvention are accomplished by the pro- '25 form a recess I8. y'Therecesses I5 and I 8 may 'vision of an ironing board, which is hinged inbest bel seen in Figure 5, and together these rethe middle so that infolded condition it will cesses'form a continuous cavity in the bottomof occupy only half its normal length, and having a the board in which afoldable support structure supporting structure also hinged at themiddle is receivable. which may be folded completely` within the rey Theside portions 5 and IB and likewise the cessed bottom of the board ormay be extended side portions 6 and II'are formed with grooves 20 tosupport the same in an elevated position. and 2| for the accommodationof a slidable mem- The invention will best be understood from the ber22. The grooves 20 and 2| extend on both following description of thesame constituting a I sides of the middle of the board, so that, whenspecification thereof, taken in conjunction with '35 the sections I andZ'a-re unfolded, the member 22 the accompanying drawings, whereincan bemoved toa position beneath the middleof Figure 1 is a top plan View ofthe-ironing board vthe board, as seen in Figure 5, and will maintainunfolded for Iuse; f the sections in their unfolded condition. By mov-Figure 2 is a plan view of the same in folded ing the member 22 to theposition shown in Figcondition; L "40 ure 4, it will be seen that thesections land 2 Figure 3 is a bottom view of the'` same in uncan befolded together as seen in Figure 2. g folded condition; The member 22is of a thickness to t inside Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectionalview the cavity formed by recesses I5 and I8, and cfa of the ironigboard, unfolded for use, but with widthkto fit slidably between the sideportions of the supporting structure folded within the rethe framestructure. The cross-sectional shape cess in the bottom of the board; ofthe member 22 can best be seen in Figure 6. Figure 5 is a longitudinalcross-sectional View -The member 22 is also provided with a longisimilarto that of Figure 4, but with the suptudinal slot 24 in its bottom for apurpose later porting structure unfolded to support the board to be madeapparent. in elevated position, and Foldable stub legs 25 and 26 aresecured to the Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken along sections Iand 2 respectively by hinges 21 and 28. the line 6 6 of Figure 4. Theends of the legs 25 and 26 are provided with Referring more specificallyto the drawings the slots 30 and 3| respectively, into which a stretcherironing board comprises a top formed in two sec- 32 is received. Thestretcher 32 is in two sections tions I and 2 preferably of plywood orsimilar 55 33 and 34 hinged together by links 35 and 36 ar- ,cavity inthe bottom of them the stretcher 32 A provides a ranged on each side ofthe strip. The section 33 is received in slot 30 of leg 25 and issecured to the leg by a hinge 38. Section 34 of stretcher 32 is likewisereceived in slot 3| of leg 26 and is secured to the leg by a hinge 39.

The stretcher 32 is of a thickness to fit within the cavity in thebottom of the board when in folded position therein, as seen in Figure4, and the section 33 of the stretcher has a curved upper surface 40 forengagement with the upwardly concaved surface I6 of the frame portion 4.

A slidable metal member 4l of square tubular' shape is provided on thestretcher 32, which is moved over the joint formed by the links 35 and36 between the sections 33 and 34 to maintain the same in unfoldedcondition, as illustrated. in Figure 5. When the member 4l is movedtothe position seen in Figure 4, the sections 33 and 34 may be moved intothe cavity in the bottom of the board, in which position the jointbetween the sections 33 and 34 and the joint between sections I and 2 ofthe board will be aligned, and the board may be folded as seen in Figure2.

Rubber headed tacks 44 or similar resilient pads maybe secured to thestretcher 32 and to the legs 25 and 26, in the locations seen in Figures3, 4 and 5. The padsV or tacks on the legs 25 and 26 are received innotches 45 in the frame structure when. the legs arey in foldedposition, as best illusltrated in Figure 3.

The leg 25 in its unfolded position, seen in Figure 5, has its upper end29 in abutment with the section l, and the leg 26 in its unfoldedposition has its upper end 3l in abutment with the section 2, thusforming together with the stretcher 32, a. firm and stable supportingstructure for the ironing board.

The above described ironingV board structure can 'be put in conditionfor use by unfolding the same from the condition. seen in Figure 2 tothat illustrated in Figure 1 and moving the member 22 into positionbeneath the joint between sections l and 2. The board can then be placeddirectly upon a table top or some other supporting surface of suitableheigh When it is desired to raise the board above the table top or othersupport, the stretcher 32 is pulled down moving the legs 25v and. 26about the hinges 21 and 28. The member 4| is moved to a positioncovering the links 35 and 36 and the supporting structure thus formed,which is clearly shown in Figure 5 is rested upon the table top.

To fold the board for storing or transporting the same, the legs 215 and26 are. moved into the the board, carrying with which Will then lie`flush with the bottom of the board, the member 22 of the board and themember 4l of the stretcher are then moved into the positions indicatedin Figure` 4, in which condition. the board is ready to be folded intothe compact condition seen in ,Figure 2.

It.- will thus be apparent that the invention folding ironing board ofcompact. design, rugged, construction and light Weight which isparticularly suitable for packing in any available space to be carriedabout, and which is capable of being used wherever a convenientsupporting surface is to be found.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedand desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding table-top ironing board, comprising a board including a atunder surface, a pair of stub legs including fiat upper ends, hingemeans hingedly connecting said fiat upper ends of said legs tc saidunder surface of said board for swinging movement in the same directionfrom a folded position with said flat upper ends at right angles to saidunder surface to an erect position with said flat upper ends abuttingsaid fiat under surface, said legs each having a bottom edge formed witha slot therein, said slots each including a floor, said slots beingaligned, a stretcher, hinge means hingedly connecting said stretcher tosaid legs, in the region of said slots whereby said stretcher is seatedin said slots in verticallyspaced relation to said under surface of saidboard when said legs are inv said erect position.

2.. A folding table-tcp ironing board, comprising a board including aflat under surface, a pair of stub legs including fiat upper ends, hingemeans hingedly connecting said flat upper ends of said legs to saidunder surface of Said board for swinging movement in the same directionfrom a folded position with said flat upper ends at right angles to saidunder surface to an erect position with said fiat upper ends abuttingsaid at under surface, said legs each having a` bottom edge formed witha slot therein, said slots .each including a floor, said slots beingaligned, a

stretcher, hinge means hingedly connecting said stretcher to said legsin the region of said slots whereby said stretcher is seated in saidslots in vertically-spaced relation to. said under surface of said boardwhen said legs are in said erect position, said board and stretcher eachcomprising a pair of sections, hinge means hingedly connecting saidboard sections together intermediate said legs, hinge means hingedlyconnecting said stretcher sections together intermediate said legs, bothof said last-named hinge means being aligned for folding movement in thesame direction when said legs are in said folded position, and both ofsaid last-named hinge means being offset when said legs are in saiderect position.

EBER W. SHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 982,093 Russ Jan. 17, 19111,161,794 Sheehan Nov. 23, 1915 2,023,553 Schulz Dec. 10, 1935 2,226,710Daniel Dec. 31, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,648Australia June 10, 1932

